Runcie: Broward school bus service improving

The disastrous bus service that tarnished the opening weeks of school in Broward County is nearly resolved, Superintendent Robert Runcie said Tuesday.

Runcie told the School Board that the district has put bus drivers on "most, if not all, open routes," although some are still working double shifts until more drivers are hired.

"We still have some issues, but absolutely, it's getting better," he said.

Runcie said the main problems still outstanding involve service for students in exceptional student education, which serves those with learning disabilities. About 1,600 of those students were not assigned routes until the school year started due to late requests from schools, and the transportation department is still playing catch up, district officials said.

Runcie didn't know how many students still didn't have bus service. Board member Robin Bartleman said she was still receiving complaints as late as Tuesday morning.

District officials identified a shortage of drivers as the root cause of the problems, which led to thousands of children getting picked up late or not at all. Runcie eliminated 174 mostly vacant positions from the transportation department during the summer to put more teachers in the classrooms. They were then hit with an unexpected surge in demand of 11,000 more students than last year. The increase has been puzzling, since district enrollment declined by as much as 3,000 students this year.

Maurice Woods, chief strategy and operations officer for the district, cited boundary changes and an increase in school choice options as possible factors for the increased demand, although the district hasn't been able to provide any specific data on what caused the spike. Runcie said the numbers came from the district's computerized student information system, but he doesn't know all the reasons for the increase.

Board Chairwoman Ann Murray, a former transportation supervisor with the district, said the reason may be economic.

"When gas prices go up, a lot of parents send their children on school buses, which have a good track record of safety, rather than driving them to school," she said.